Community education is an eclectic philosophy which combines many desirable features of educational movements of the past and present. In the United States, its evolution occurred in those periods of educational history when forces favoring a close relationship between the community and school were dominant. Periods of rapid development of community education occurred during the colonial period, the industrial revolution, the great depression, and from the late 1960's to the present. The philosophy of community education is atill evolving as new ideas are tested and new ways are found to reach and help people. For community education to succeed, the social climate in a community should facilitate communication and cooperation among all community citizens, the people of a community should actively participate in making the change, professional educators should view education broadly enough so that the role of education becomes service to all community citizens, and there should be a high level of cooperative rapport among all agencies and organizations who play influencing roles in shaping the individual's lifestyle and that of the community as a whole. (Author/DN)